Finding that perfect outfit for the show ring can be a challenge. For Mo Purdie, finding show clothes was even more difficult. She started riding at age 12, and as a teen, grew to 6 feet tall.
“Finding show clothes has always been a struggle for me,” she says.
Mo shows western pleasure and quickly discovered how important the right outfit was to her confidence and success.
“I had an amazing outfit handed down to me, and I started doing so much better because I felt so much better in the show ring,” she explains. “No kid should lack the confidence to step into the show ring because of what they’re wearing.”
Starting Nila’s Closet
Since kids and teens grow so fast, finding and repeatedly buying show clothes can get expensive. When Mo was about 15 years old, she came up with the idea to create Nila’s Closet, a charity that connects young riders with donated show clothing. Mo originally started the charity in Florida as a 4-H project in 2021, but it grew quickly and now reaches riders throughout the country.
To get started, Mo went through her own closet and pulled out clothes she no longer wore. Her mother, Terry Hooker, posted about the idea on Facebook, and local riders donated clothes that they had outgrown.
Mo’s trainer, Caitlyn Daniels, posted on Facebook that she would be gathering donations at an upcoming Paint show at the World Equestrian Center. Mo named the charity after her mother’s horse, and news of Nila’s Closet started to grow.
Mo initially used the donations to support local riders and those in her 4-H group.
“4-H involves a lot of young kids, and sometimes parents can’t keep up with supplying the clothes for them to compete,” she says.
Today, interested riders can contact Nila’s Closet through its Facebook page, and Mo works to match riders with the right clothes in their sizes. The charity ships all over the country to reach riders who may not be local, and riders get to keep the clothes.
Nila’s Closet collects donated clothes for all disciplines, and Mo sorts the clothes by their size. Higher-end clothing is stored on hangers in garment bags, and other clothes are stored in big Rubbermaid totes in Mo’s closet.
“The totes are starting to break my closet!” she laughs.
Growing the Charity
Donations have steadily come in as news of Nila’s Closet spreads. Mo posts to Facebook when she or her trainer will be heading to competitions, so riders can bring donations to the shows.
“We have an amazing group of people in Florida, and they drop the clothes off where we’re stalled,” she says.
Nila’s Closet has even expanded to other states. Deirdra Lunny of North Carolina found that members of her 4-H group were having trouble finding and repeatedly buying show clothes. She contacted Nila’s Closet, and Mo sent her some clothes to start her own North Carolina branch of Nila’s Closet.
Now 20, Mo has graduated from 4-H and continues to show on the Florida Paint Horse and Pinto circuits, but she has big plans for Nila’s Closet.
“I want to keep growing Nila’s Closet,” she says. “I want to be able to help as many people as I can. I’ve had a big group of people who helped me when I was starting out. I want to be able to pass that forward.”
Mo is in the process of moving to Virginia, and she plans to bring the charity with her when she moves.
Though Nila’s Closet is successful today, the process of starting the charity wasn’t always smooth. Mo received some pushback from older riders in the local show community. They initially doubted Mo’s ability to start and operate the charity, but once they saw it was successful, they became supportive.
Making a Difference
Mo has been able to see the difference the charity makes firsthand and has seen the clothes that Nila’s Closet has passed on to riders in use.
Mo competes in pageants, and when she held a title, she helped judge the local Special Olympics. Some of the kids competing wore clothes that Nila’s Closet had donated. Mo has also seen photos of the kids competing, and loves to see the light in their eyes when they walk into the ring.
Starting and running Nila’s Closet has been a learning experience, but it’s also been incredibly rewarding.
“It’s OK to accept help,” Mo says of her journey. “People are going to doubt you, and you’ve just got to push through it.”
She encourages other young riders to pursue their dreams and make their big ideas happen.
“Take the leap,” Mo says. “It’s a rewarding thing to do.”
Young riders interested in applying for clothing or donating clothes can contact Nila’s Closet through its Facebook page.
This article about Mo Purdie and Nila’s Closet appeared in the July/August 2025 issue of Young Rider magazine. Click here to subscribe!
